Economic dilemma

Last week I had the opportunity to speak to Congressman Bruce Westerman about my dilemma. I can’t find people to work because I hear most applicants say “I can’t make over $1,020 per month or I’ll lose my disability,” or “I can’t work over 20 hours a week or I’ll lose my food stamps, housing, or child care.” It became obvious to me these people are capable of working, but we are subsidizing them to stay home. He said we are “incentivizing them and I hear this all over the state.”

In 2007 I had to turn down service-related work because everyone who wanted to work was working and there was a shortage of labor due to the housing bubble. Now I’m turning down work again due to a shortage of labor due to another artificial stimulus. I believe in helping people who need help; however, we now have three generations of people who it seems have never seen anyone in their family hold down a job. They have made a career off of taxpayers.

There are many equations to be gained from this economic dilemma. There is a positive or value from “sweat equity.” When you remove people from the work force, you remove money from the economy, and that is bad because you are removing the multiplier effect when you pay someone a wage.

I hear the term “economic development” used a lot recently, but it will not be achieved without economic freedom. Those who favor big government try to think of different ways to divide the pie. With economic freedom, you don’t create prosperity by dividing the pie; prosperity is created by increasing the size of the pie.

Something to think about … when you’re thinking. W.R. COWAN

Hot Springs